Thirty-eight people.
Douglas County was that many short of reaching a population of 100,000 in the 2000 census, according to figures released Tuesday.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; The Associated Press
The county's population surged to 99,962, the Census Bureau said, a number that earned it rankings as the fifth-most populous in Kansas, and one of the fastest-growing.
Douglas County's 22 percent increase far outpaced both the statewide growth rate of 8.5 percent and the U.S. rate of 13 percent.
Lawrence's growth was equally torrid.
The city's population increased to 80,098 from 65,608 residents in 1990, a growth rate of 22 percent during the decade. That made it the fastest-growing big city in Kansas outside of Johnson County.
The census figures also showed that:
Douglas County's racial makeup remained relatively unchanged. Whites, who were 88.9 percent of the population in 1990, now represent 86.1 percent of the county total. Mirroring the national and statewide trend, the biggest Douglas County gains were among Hispanics and those who identified themselves as "other." Hispanics accounted for 3.3 percent of the population, up from 2.6 percent in 1990. The "other" category increased to 12 percent of the population, from 10.4 percent.
Douglas County's 22.2 percent growth rate, from 81,798 residents in 1990, made it the third-fastest growing among the state's 15 most populous counties. Johnson County, with a 27 percent growth rate, outpaced it. So did meatpacking powerhouse Finney County, which grew 22.5 percent.
Olathe exploded to 92,962 residents in 2000 from 63,352 in 1990, a 46.7 percent increase that pushed it by Lawrence as the state's fifth-biggest city.
No magic number
Though area officials have treated 100,000 as a benchmark population for triggering federal aid and regulations, they couldn't say Tuesday whether failing to hit the target would have any consequences, good or bad.
"It seems there is no magic number and that Douglas County not breaking the 100,000 level will have little effect from a federal standpoint," said Marc Wilson, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., whose district includes Lawrence. "Generally there are a lot more factors that go into funding decisions besides raw population."
Douglas County's rapid growth was hardly news to area officials.
"No surprises," Douglas County Administrator Craig Weinaug said. "Obviously, we're a growing county that for years has struggled with the benefits and negatives of growth. It's a two-edged sword."
But Larry Kipp, president of Friends of Douglas County and a self-described "smart growth" activist, saw a fresh warning in the numbers.
Even while surrounding communities grew, he noted, Kansas City, Kan., experienced a population decline in the 1990s the result of the city's poor economic decisions, he said.
"The thing we have to be careful of is we don't become a bedroom community," Kipp said. "We need to think about growing wisely."
Number-crunching time
Debbie Van Saun, assistant city manager, said Lawrence would start immediately putting Tuesday's data to work.
"It will be very helpful to compare this information to what we've been projecting for infrastructure, wastewater, traffic, roads, that sort of thing," she said. "It will have different meanings for different areas of the city."
It also will determine the city's political future. Lawmakers will use the numbers to decide boundaries for the state's four congressional districts. Lawrence sits on the boundary of the 2nd and 3rd districts.
Moore declined to speculate on how Tuesday's numbers would affect Lawrence's standing.
"There is no doubt that the population of the 3rd Congressional District needs to be reduced by about 50,000 residents," he said. "I trust the Legislature will redraw the boundaries with deference to the appropriate federal laws."
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